Cut to the chase
by bitterkidd
Summary: Mikan had just finished her daily routine, checking and filing all the things she needs for the next day when suddenly something unusual knocks her off her day-to-day pattern. With a man jumping in and unexplained chases, she ventures out of her mediocre life and discovers something she should or shouldn't have. (Will change rating if i get NSFW mode which i haven't. idk)
1. Uninvited

Mikan didn't know what to do; she was miles away from home with a stranger on board her car speeding away from unknown pursuers that were now out to get her. How she ended up in this exhilarating predicament, she had remembered all too well.

It had been quarter to two when she had finished filing all the documents her boss needed for the next day, exhaustion hit every bone on her body when she leaned on the glass panel as the elevator went down the underground parking lot. There was a blaring sound of things getting knocked over when the elevator came into stop on the 14th floor. Startled by the unusual sound, Mikan stepped out calling out into the dimmed darkness onto the deserted hallway, "Hello?"

Curiosity had killed her fear when she stepped further to the arched door where she heard the blaring sound of breaking glass, disaster had plagued the room but the culprit was nowhere to be found. Then suddenly there were silhouettes of two men holding out a gun and another that looked liked two people, one holding the other on a headlock. Instead of running away like an ordinary person would do, she crept forward, slowly striding to hide herself yet her eyes never left the figures. They were having a conversation, she discerned as she watched the other waving the gun around. It held her distracted, causing her to knock herself over an office chair then all of her fear had come, tumbling down like an avalanche. The figures whipped their heads into her direction- or so she thought as she stayed on fours, crawling her way back to the elevator.

Once she was down, she staggered her way to her Porsche, her keys jingled as she brought it out, evident that her hands quivered in fear. Turning the ignition on, Mikan took a deep breath to calm her nerves. Then all of a sudden someone got into her passenger side and just yelled "Drive!"

Momentary shock overcame her, and then as if on autopilot she shifted her gears and stepped on the gas, speeding away from the building. And as they turned down the block, a set of black Autos pursued them, causing Mikan to tense up as she darted away from the traffic, hoping to lose them in the process.

"Is this an on-reality-slash-movie or something? Are we being filmed? Why in the bloody hell am I being chased?!" came Mikan's series of questions while sneaking a peak of the stranger beside her, her voice unsure of what to actually asses of the situation he had brought her.

"Why am I being fuckin' chased like I'm some fuckin' hoodlum on the run?!" She asked coarsely, her chin jutting out and hand clenched against the steering wheel to keep herself from lashing out.

"It's best if you mind your own business." He said pensively, his tone brisk and husky as he glanced behind their pursuers who was a block away from sight. It was a wrong answer coming from the guy who invited himself in.

"Seriously? Well tough luck asshole, I ain't calling this minding my own business if you stuck your ass up in that car seat of mine. If anything, it was you who didn't mind his own shit." Mikan said so cynically, she would be quite proud of herself she wasn't so vexed from his answer. Grunting, the stranger ruffled if dark hair seeming frustrated as he glanced back again, massaging the bridge of his nose.

"I'm being chased," He supplied shortly, Mikan rolled her eyes as she let out a sarcastic chuckle.

"Yeah, I kinda figure that out. Maneuvering my Porsche away from wannabe movie car chasers and all that jazz."

Her sass was grating on his nerves, she knew, with that clenched jaw and furrowed brows she knew all too well. There was a pause as she waited for him, giving her ample time to cross the downtown traffic.

"Let's just agree that I'm some kind of agent," he started.

"Okay, like a Mafia underling- got it." She nodded he glared at her head, she glanced at him and smirked inwardly catching his glare. Even how terrifying he looked, it didn't seem to faze her, not really when he was desperate enough to slide into her car uninvited.

"I was off on a mission to 'catch' someone," he quoted as if telling her of a different code she didn't quite catch. ", The extraction plan didn't work, and I had to find some way else to escape so here you are." He mused, after a few moments he leaned back like there were no people out to get them, too relaxed. Something was flawed.

She glanced back again only to find that no one was chasing them. "Wha-"

"They knew what car I'm in. It wouldn't take long after they trace this car's details and ownership-" He sighed, answering her unuttered question "I guess there no point saying you're not involved in this anymore."

"Damn straight you are." Mikan jeered smugly than she intended to, and it was there she realized that she was in a getaway car with no destination, no idea what was out to get her and more importantly with a strange man in a suit. More than terrified, she was having mixed emotions of being thrilled, frightened and hesitant of this new adventure but with all that she didn't give two shits about. Her heart palpitating as she thought of the next few hours, where she would end, what she would do and if she'd survive. Yet all her pessimistic thoughts went out the window as she looked at the man beside her and asked,

"Where to?"


	2. Situation covered

Chapter 2:

Mikan slept throughout the ride when Hyuuga offered to drive, but it was actually more like demanding that he should drive along the lines of 'she shouldn't know where the HQ is.' And her being an insufficient runaway drive in which she had protested. By the time Mikan had stirred awake, the first thing that she saw were a pair of striking crimson orbs staring at her, the amount of panning of his face was too close for comfort she thought with a slight shudder. Hyuuga quirked a brow, finding her her reaction quite amusing as a smirk played on his lips.

"You're awake-" He said, more stating than in question "- good, I didn't have to carry you in."

"What?" Mikan croaked her throat dry and scratchy, she sat up when he moved away yet still too close in her personal bubble which was hard since she was cocooned in the passenger's seat and he was just out the door waiting.

"Up you go, or I'll throw you over my shoulder."

He finally stepped back, squaring his shoulders to prove his point. She scrambled on her feet, hitting her head on the car ceiling a few times before stepping out of the car, sheepishly grinning at Hyuuga who looked at her indifferently then ignored her as he walked in to the sleek black building.

"Where are we?" Mikan asked as she stridden in beside him panting a little with the effort, he glanced at her as she anticipated an answer but ignored her, again, as he went inside the elevator. She paused at the entrance, not getting in with him as if it was law that she shouldn't, he raised a brow as if consenting her to come in.

"We are going to settle your situation. Since you have been involved and there is a greater chance of them using you, we needed to have some insurance for your safety." Mikan oh-ed as he answered, reminding her that crossing with Hyuuga was actually a dangerous path to tread. Mikan stayed silent throughout the ride up, looking down her feet as she fiddled with her office slacks.

'I really need to change when we're done with this.' She thought.

"We're here." Mikan looked up and couldn't help but gape at the magnificent planes of humongous obsidian walls and marbled floor that decorated the vast floor. Hyuuga rolled his eyes at her bewilderment, grunting before leading her to the big mahogany door whilst placing a hand on the small of her back. Mikan's focus snapped back at the contact of his warm hands on her, jolting away slightly when she felt his breath fanning her fringe beside her cheeks, his face close to her ear. Mikan felt blood rushing on her cheeks at the proximity between them.

"Be at your most proper behavior." He smirk at her figure, shoulders tense and the reddening of her cheeks, he knew women couldn't deny those natural gestures. He liked playing her. Unbeknownst to him, Mikan scowled despite her flushed cheeks, scooting a little away from him and his hand that laid firmly against her back before looking at him, her brows furrowed and lips purse.

"Then you should too." She snapped albeit courtly at him.

He couldn't help but chuckle at the adorable display of superiority, she glared back at him as she heard his laugh, huffing as she crossed her arms infront of her chest chastising him to stop wasting time and get things over with. He knocked, and without waiting for a response he opened the door with Mikan again scolding him of how rude it was to barge in like that.

"They were expecting us," Hyuuga shrugged, his voice lacing with amusement at her.

"Hyuuga, I see you brought in company." The benefactor quipped as they proceeded towards him, his hands resting on the piles of folders spreaded on the porcelain desk, he looked straight at Hyuuga before scrutinized Mikan. His eyes narrowing a fraction as he breathed out the one name Mikan didn't hope to hear for so long.

"Yuka-"

Mikan turned to face him, the familiarity of his face was a sight to behold because there stood one of the most prominent and respected man in the world, Shiki Masachika, which she should know.

The questioning look on her face seem to have done it's work because almost immediately the man that stood before her nodded slightly before introducing himself for her albeit unnecessary.

"Shiki Masachika, President of Masachika Corps. Its nice to meet you, Sakura Mikan." She look at him with an incredulous look, she was baffled that this man had known her name, probably Hyuuga told him? No, he said he didn't have any contact with his benefactor thus making that logic invalid, so- "How did-?"

"I've seen you through security, as you have known of me, which you do, my security here is very tight thus also my tech is very useful in administering the security ops. My Intel told me you were coming."

"Oh, right, I see. It's very nice to meet you, Mr. Masachika." Mikan bowed purposely and demurely, sophisticating herself to look more presentable than not for she looked awfully haggard and unprimed. She presented him with a bright smile, the tense aura of the room vanished as she did so replaced by a light easing melow when her shoulders slacked unconsciously.

"No please, call me Shiki." Mikan nodded docilely than necessary. "Please, do sit down. We have a lot to talk about your situation."

They sat opposite to each other, Hyuuga and Mikan, on the sofa that were provided in front of the porcelain desk. Hyuuga nodded at her as if to acknowledge her presence, or was it because he was congratulating her for not making a fool of herself, she picked the latter.

"Natsume, now that you have dragged a bystander in your escapade, I expect that there aren't more to follow, are we clear on that?" Shiki said nonchalantly as if he was talking about the weather, Mikan pursed her lips as she looked at Hyuuga undermined by someone other than his own self, it was a sight to beheld.

"Now Mikan, since you were unexpectedly brought to this unexpected situation, you are here by taken under my wing and thus be excused from your work. I will file a leave of absence for your sake as an apology for the brash actions of my agent." Hyuuga grunted by the mention of incompetence, Shiki ignored him and continued, " I will put a safety security ops for you, as you should be residing in Kakitsubata for the mean time. Is that alright?"

Mikan was left speechless and bewildered. Clearly she not used to mix turned of events, but staying in Kakitsubata, a renowned 7-star hotel was too good to be true, and this was the time around is when the busiest schedules of company projects to be placed into action surely she had to decline such fabulous offer made her disappointed than not.

"I'm sorry Mr. Shiki, but i would like to decline the offer of residing in Kakitsubata for I have to work to do, it's very crucial for me to advise the company this time around." Hyuuga shot her a glare.

Shiki chuckled, "I'm afraid I can't do that Mikan. You see, you need to be safe, and we can't protect you where we can't see you. But what I can do is provide you with facilities so you could do your work and be still in our sight until all is clear. Would that be all?" Mikan had no choice but to agree, but then again, there were no cons in staying in such a prestigious hotel whilst working which pleased her thus cracking as smile when she nodded.

"Okay, I accept the offer Mr. Shiki."

Hyuuga scoffed and muttered under his breath, _"It's not like you have a choice."_

(ू•︵•ू❁ (ू•︵•ू❁ (ू•︵•ू❁ (ू•︵•ू❁ (ू•︵•ू❁ (ू•︵•ू❁ (ू•︵•ू❁(ू•︵•ू❁ (ू•︵•ू❁ (ू•︵•ू❁ (ू•︵•ू❁ (ू•︵•ू❁ (ू•︵•ू❁ (ू•︵•ू❁(ू•︵•ू❁ (ू•︵•ू❁ (ू•︵•ू❁

Natsume and Mikan then were guided inside a white van that drove them to Kakitsubata which had taken three hours and a half. As they arrived at the gates, Mikan was once again at awe at the marvelous sight before her, trimmed topiaries and shrub vines had spread acres through, along with the colorful flower beds that sided the bricked road. Mikan had stood agape on the hotel floor, rendering as if she was in another world with the grandness of it. It was far greater and absolutely impossible to describe the architectural genius that had been set out in front of her, perfect symmetrical planes had been piled on the walls along with beautiful colored cut glass the hung gracefully on the ceiling were one of the few things that Mikan could comprehend since she was once again pushed by none other than, Natsume Hyuuga.

"Close your mouth, we don't want you dying while chocking on a fly now, would we?" Hyuuga whispered on her ear, amusement lacing baritone voice.

Automatically she closed her mouth shut as she timidly nodded at him albeit not noticing their close proximity, and once that she did, he had already drew his hand back and stuffed it on his trouser pocket.

Oddly enough, Mikan was feeling puzzled by the way her nerves kind of jumping whenever he would do something like that, touching the small of her back intentionally, bending down just to whisper insults at her and what's more, she had KIND OF liked it. She noted feeling of the fluttery wings of the butterflies caging in her gut, the little lost of heart beat when he would do something that would insult her to no end, and it was hormones talking, not that she would admit to it, of course not. Because quite contrarily Hyuuga was a walking woman-trap, with his sharp good looks and strong jaw that would make any lady swoon beneath his feet, all but with her as an exception; well, probably at first she did too, but it was until he started commanding her in that baritone voice that she scowled at god's face.

She knew he was playing her, she knew all too well, yet that didn't seem to prepare her at his short comings.

Mikan scowled as she thought of the said man that was reflected on the elevator panel, she wouldn't be fooled, trapped, but not fooled.

"A penny for your thoughts?" They were already exiting the elevator when Hyuuga asked her, starting her from her reverie as she spun around to face him, her eyebrows arched surprised by his sudden concern, then she saw the gaiety flickering in his eyes and the fleeting smirk that played on his lips.

"That's too cheap for something intensifying." She mused back, grinning from ear to ear as she swiveled back ambling to the room that was directed to her.

"A hundred bucks?" he supplied, his lips quirked at the corners which he often did when he was taunting her. Mikan laughed at the slight desperation, mirth filled the halls as she treaded close to him. Opening her door with the key card, she shook her head, her laugh subsiding as she stared at him for a moment. "It's not worth it."

Then she slammed the door in his face.


	3. Settling in

"_A penny for your thoughts?" They were already exiting the elevator when Hyuuga asked her, startling her from her reverie as she spun around to face him, her eyebrows arched surprised by his sudden concern, then she saw the gaiety flickering in his eyes and the fleeting smirk that played on his lips._

"_That's too cheap for something intensifying." She mused back, grinning from ear to ear as she swiveled back ambling to the room that was directed to her._

"_A hundred bucks?" he supplied, his lips quirked at the corners which he often did when he was taunting her. Mikan laughed at the slight desperation, mirth filled the halls as she treaded close to him. Opening her door with the key card, she shook her head, her laugh subsiding as she stared at him for a moment. "It's not worth it."_

_Then she slammed the door in his face._

* * *

Chapter 3:

Mikan languidly slid down the floor, her back leaning on the door as she thought of what she just did. She just had to slam the door in his face, now did she? Mikan slapped herself for being such a fool.

He was just worried, that's all, she told herself. There were no feelings attached, he was plainly concerned about another human, she convinced no one.

Of course she was in an awful state of denial with what happened in the past hours, finally she was alone and it was just what she needed.

Everything happened so fast yet too slow, did that even make sense?

She had remembered the getaway rush that jolted the inactive adrenaline to spur, that little arguments while spending the tense and boring ride while sitting on their sore bottoms, she recalled that he told her to change the dumb sticky cushions with leather. She should take note of it.

_'Penny for your thoughts?' _my ass, there is no way i could ever tell him that what i was thinking about was how hot he look with that disheveled dark hair of his, that would be mental suicide. And also, it would inflate his ego even more, his head is too big for his own good, she mused.

After a minute or two Mikan decided to freshen up and take long soothing shower. She got out and patted herself dry, then gingerly put on her undergarments that had just finished drying.

Just when she reached for the hotel robe, she heard the bathroom door open. Her hand halted in a mid hover as she whipped her head towards the door and saw Hyuuga staring at her, his face unreadable. As fast as sound, Mikan threw the closest thing that she could grab on to, which was in her case, the robe, and threw it to Hyuuga vigorously and wrapped herself with the bath towel that lay forgotten on the sink.

"What the hell? HOW DID YOU GET IN?" Even his head was covered with the robe, he still looked smug as hell as he reached out to his pant pocket and showed her a key card.

"Well didn't even you learn how to knock? What is wrong with you."

He shrugged indifferently and muttered, "It's a forced habit."

Mikan rolled her eyes despite the awkward situation, normally when she would be scene like this in any other day, she would have screamed her lungs out, but now she was even too sluggish to even argue. "So?"

"What?"

"So why you are you here, god damnnit Natsume." He actioned to remove the robe that constricted his sight when she growled, warning him not to, thinking again, he reached back and flunged a black bag that she recognized all to well.

"My gym bag! Thanks."

"Hn." He stayed still for a moment and leaned back onto the door frame, shooking his head to make the robe fall droopily on the tiled floor.

"Why are you still here? Get out, I'm going to change."

"There's nothing to see anyway, so why bother?" A vein popped on Mikan's forehead.

"GET OUT YOU NASTY FOX."

Quickly Mikan pushed him out the door and locked it, hoping this time he'd get the message and wait. Snickering slightly, Natsume looked at the door where once again, was slammed in his face, not that he was complaining as a matter of fact it gave him the idea of what to call her now, much to his amusement.

"See you later at the lobby hall, **Polka**. " Then he heard the incoherent profanities she cursed him with as he exited the suite.

Mikan deeply sighed as she got out of the bathroom, her shoulder slumped as she dragged her feet towards the nearest bedroom, her eyes sluggishly threatening to close. Finally she had submerge herself on the comfiest foam and silk as exhaustion and fatigue devoured her being, only to forget that someone requested her audience.

* * *

Natsume scowled as he waited in front of the suite door for an hour, although he knew girls would take a lot of time prepping their selves in the bathroom, this was down right outrageous. 'Five minutes, Natsume. Just five minutes more.' He chastened himself as he reversed his arm that was crossed and shifted his weight from a foot to another, unconsciously tapping his foot on the carpeted floor.

And waited, he did, for another ten minutes because he was forgiving that way and yet he haven't heard any creaking or shuffling of feet, what was taking her so long?

Finally Natsume gathered his thoughts and slid his key card on the security lock, successfully unlocking the door. He sauntered towards the bathroom door, knowing fully that she was still beautifying herself, noting himself to knock first, twice, thrice he did yet no one answered. With no second thoughts he flung the bathroom door open while calling out her name "Sakura!?"

No one was there. No one was there for a long time he noted by the dwindling temperature, his crimson eyes narrowed as he inspected the sight, everything was in order and there was no sign of struggle.

'She probably forgot about it and slept, that pig.' he deduced, now ambling to where ever the bedroom was. And yet what was this? He checked every single bedroom but there was no sign of her. WHAT THE-

"Ahhhh- No, no, no- Don't go... don't - please... "

Natsume heard a sob as he was about to close the door, quickly he advanced towards the bed and saw Mikan sprawled on the floor, the duvets spreaded cocooning her body as she sobbed unconsciously, her face damp with the sweat and tears. Natsume shook his head as he looked at her, empathy grated his chest as he helplessly messed his hair in frustration.

He took out his phone and dial a number, "She'll see you later," he stiffly stated then hung up before the other line could respond.

Natsume deeply sighed before dipping down and hooked his arm under her legs, his other arm supported her back as he raised her up, the duvets veiled beneath his and her body then he unceremoniously threw her on the bed, unknowingly that she had gripped his suit jacket as he went down with her.

"Don't go..." She wrapped her arms around his neck, for a seemingly tender headlock as his head rested against her chest.

"You're lucky this position is rather comprising." Natsume scoffed as he drifted asleep with her, a small smile graced his mouth as he fell unconscious with a woman he barely knew. A woman who he knew he was attracted to, and to him, it was dangerous, dangerous enough now that she was involved with him.

* * *

(͡ﾉ° ͜ʖ ͡°)ﾉ

Okay JSWSWES, THIS CHAPTER HAD SO MUCH LOURVE I HAD TO STOP IT THERE. ༼ຈل͜ຈ༽ﾉ

Forgive me for the loose ends, this chapter was just a filling for the heart strings, i'm sorry. I will make sure to give more depth in the next chapter, so stay tuned! ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ

leaving a review would be much appreciated lovelies ( ❁´‿`❁)


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